Celebrating Staff Excellence
Annual Division of Student Affairs Awards
The Division of Student Affairs awards and recognition program honors staff members, either individually or in groups, who exemplify the Division’s commitment to student success and operational excellence through the annual employee awards program.
Click here to view the award criteria and process for presenting each award type.
2025 - 2026 Award Recipients
Rising Star Award of Excellence
- Vincent Andoldi — Student Affairs Business Office
Excellence in Programming Award
- Christina Caronna — Student Centers & Activities
Outstanding Assessment, Communication, and Technology Impact Award
- Dr. Merylou Rodriguez — Residence Life
- Biage Alexandre — Residence Life
Spirit of Community Award
- Aisling Cassidy — Offices of the Dean of Students: Student Orientation and Transition Programs
Unsung Heroes Award
- Nikita Cuvilje — Health Outreach Promotion and Education
Excellence in Inclusion and Belonging Award
- Kai Palmer — Offices of the Dean of Students: Title IX and Compliance
Campus Partner Award
- Lt. Manuel Simoes (Retired 2026) — Rutgers University Police Department
- University Finance and Administration Payroll — University Finance and Administration Payroll
McGinty Star Award for Outstanding Service
- Ryan Kassis — Residence Life
- Dr. Laura Randolph — Offices of the Dean of Students: Student Orientation and Transition Programs
- Po Chan — Dining Services
- Dejun Chang — Dining Services
- Chu Chi — Dining Services
- Angela Eng — Dining Services
- Volodymyr Hbur — Dining Services
- David Hu — Dining Services
- Deborah James — Dining Services
- Gaylord Jenkins — Dining Services
- Debbie Johnson — Dining Services
- Dionne Johnson — Dining Services
- Algama Mohabeer — Dining Services
- Richard Panzarella — Dining Services
- Carlton Plummer — Dining Services
- Teresa Rivera — Dining Services
- Jiehong Shi — Dining Services
- Vivene Simms — Dining Services
- Jamie Speed — Dining Services
- Ephraim Strickland — Dining Services
- Dung Vu — Dining Services
- Jean Kibala — Student Affairs Business Office
- Hope DiCapua — Residence Life
- Lisa Ferguson — Residence Life
- Kathleen McCarthy — Residence Life
- Donna Olbrys — Residence Life
- Floretta Stryker — Residence Life
- Donna Wallace — Residence Life
- Donna Boyle — CAPS
- Mary Emily Casey — CAPS
- Linda Petruzzi — CAPS
- Carlos Fernandez — Center for Latino Arts & Culture
- Stephen Wagner — Recreation
- Barbara Paster — Fraternity and Sorority Affairs
- Annmarie Burg — Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities
- Susan Goldberg — Rutgers Student Health
- Cheryl Jackson — Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Student Experience
- Mary Ann Schrum — Office of Parent and Family Engagement
Past Awards Recipients
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Campus Partner Award
- Dr. Joshua Langberg, Chief Wellness Officer, Rutgers-New Brunswick Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Rising Star Award of Excellence
- Alicia Jenkins, Residence Life
- Tori Glascock, Research and Assessment
Excellence in Programming Award
- Department of Residence Life
The Assessment, Communication, and Technology Impact Award
- Dr. Peggy Policastro, Dining Services
Spirit of Community Award
- Charisse Gutierrez, Student Activities Business Office
Unsung Heroes Award
- Ashley Opitz, Recreation
- NaQuan Redd, Student Centers and Activities
McGinty Star Award for Outstanding Service
- Lynda Constello, Student Affairs Human Resources
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Campus Partner Award
- Matthew Gulsby, Rutgers University Police Department
- Mark Robson, Rutgers School of Graduate Studies
- Vineet Puglia, Quest Phlebotomist at Rutgers Student Health
Rising Star Award of Excellence
- Angel Cordero-Gonzalez, Residence Life
Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award:
- Ghada Endick, Office of the Dean of Students
Excellence in Programming Award
- Sabrina Selvaggio, Student Centers and Activities)
- Student Orientation and Transition Programs
The Assessment, Communication, and Technology Impact Award
- Samantha Plum, Recreation
Spirit of Community Award
- Paolo Miyashiro-Bedoya, Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities
Unsung Heroes Award
- Ganesh Waran, Recreation
- Rutgers Student Health Nurse Team Leads
McGinty Star Award for Outstanding Service
- Neela Patel, Student Centers and Activities
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Campus Partner Award
- Steve Dubiago, Institutional Planning and Operations
- Justin Makowski, One Stop Student Service Center
- Kerry Whitlock, Facilities
- Mokhtar Ramadan, King Pita Palace
Rising Star Award of Excellence
- Sabrina Starkman, Counseling, ADAP, and Psychiatric Services
Excellence in Programming Award
- Jakora Thompson, Paul Robeson Cultural Center
- Anne Finetto, Recreation
The Assessment, Communication, and Technology Impact Award
- Dr. Nicole Isaacson, Counseling, ADAP, and Psychiatric Services
Spirit of Community Award
- Brianna Livelli, Offices of the Dean of Students
Unsung Heroes Award
- Halil Bektas, Dining Services
McGinty Star Award for Outstanding Service
- Michael Tolbert, Residence Life
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- Carey Loch, Student Centers and Activities
- Julissa Perez, Student Health-CAPS
- Rebecca Vazquez, Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance
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- Kevin Pitt, Office of Student Conduct
- Maddy Zijdel, Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance
- Kerri Willson, Off-Campus Living and Community Partnerships
- Jon Bouchard, Residence Life
Staff Service Awards: 2024-2025 Award Recipients
Every year, we recognize Student Affairs employees who have worked for ten, twenty, thirty, and even forty years at Rutgers. We thank you for your dedicated service to our division and the university!
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- Amy Miele
- Anthony Oliveri
- Ashwatie Budhan
- Ayoka John
- Bei Huang
- John Mikhail
- Keisha Robinson
- Keith Murphy
- Leo Reisberg
- Lynda Costello
- Marian Kapp
- Merylou Rodriguez
- Nabil Aly
- Norma Valentin
- Sabrina Starkman
- Salvador Mena
- Shacoya Young
- Thomas Alicino
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- Aracel Martinez
- Francisco Diaz
- Heather Scarola
- Jacqueline Jones
- Joyce Pelley
- Kerri Willson
- Maisha Caldwell
- Marilyn Chickey
- May Eng
- Michael Abdallah
- Monica Tyus
- Nury Torres
- Shunyu Lai
- Toni Jordan
- Victor Beckley
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- Ghada Endick
- Janice Strickland
- Caryn Washington
- Barbara Caravites
- Stephan Wagner